2010 Skil-Shimano  - Line up Complete
Skil-Shimano adds Young Gun's to their fill out their 25 man roster for the 2010 Season...

The Skil-Shimano team made their tour debut this past year taking a step into the annals of cycling history with the first Japanese rider to finish the tour, Fumiyuki Beppu. The team acquitted itself well with all the riders finishing except Kenny van Hummel who left the race after a crash requiring seven stitches in his knee; Thierry Hupond Thierry was the best placed rider for the team at the tour; at the end of the season the team was 26th in the UCI Rankings.

The Pro Continental team is back this year with a 25 member group fortified with some young talent That should give support to their sprinters in their efforts to win at the highest level races. The team  continues to support anti-doping efforts by participating in the UCI blood passport program keeping open their opportunities as a wild card for ProTour races.

Skil-Shimano have completed their squad line-up for the 2010 season.
Robin Chaigneau and Job Vissers both signed for Iwan Spekenbrink’s team this week. Robin Chaigneau (21) was a stagiaire at Skil-Shimano last season. He made a good impression, but at the time the management felt he was too young to make the switch to the professionals. In recent seasons, the teacher-training student rode for Cyclingteam Jo Piels and was supervised by Skil-Shimano coach Merijn Zeeman.

The popular Roy Curvers has a chat with the fans before the start of the Post Tour Criterium: Mijl van Mares. Photo © 2009 Bart Hazen

In 2009 Chaigneau achieved a number of podium finishes, including third in the Ster van Zwolle, second in Köln - Schuld - Frechen, second in the first stage of the Tour de Berlin and third in the Belgische Zele. A big win was not forthcoming, but Skil-Shimano feel Chaigneau has grown by leaps and bounds this year and is now ready to turn pro. The Dutchman is a fast sprinter, who is also expected to do well in the Flemish classics in the future.

Kenny van Hummel     Photo © 2009 Bart Hazen

Job Vissers became Dutch amateur champion in Ootmarsum last season, finishing ninth among the pros. This season the 24-year-old did not manage a big win, but he made an outstanding impression during his time as a stagiaire at Skil-Shimano, giving a glimpse of what he is capable of as a valuable squad member with regular appearances in the leading group. The Dutchman has prioritized his chemical technology studies at TU Eindhoven in recent years. Now that Vissers has graduated, and awarded a degree of cum laude Skil-Shimano feels he is ready to fulfill his potential on the bike too. Vissers is a rider best suited to one-day races.

By filling the final two berths in the 2010 team with Chaigneau and Vissers, Skil-Shimano have given two high-potential young Dutchmen the opportunity to shine at the highest level next season. The 2010 Skil-Shimano squad comprises 25 riders.

The team  will open their 2010 season in the GP d’Ouverture La Marseillaise on 31 January. Soon after, Iwan Spekenbrink’s Pro Continental team will take part in the Tour of Qatar on 7-12 February in what is a traditional start to the season.

‘We would quite like to take part in the Tour Down Under,' admitted Spekenbrink. 'But the places are so scarce it’s unrealistic to leave space for that in the season schedule. But if we get the chance we will obviously be interested. The organisers are aware of that.’

Skil-Shimano Cycling Team 2010

Skil-Shimano Cycling Team Staff 2010

Skil Adds Sponsor
Bastion Hotel Group
The Skil-Shimano cycling team has entered into a partnership with Bastion Hotel Group, which becomes co-sponsor of Skil-Shimano on 1 January 2010. The team will also leave Deurningen for a new permanent centralised training base at Bastion Hotel in Limburg in the southeast of the Netherlands. ‘The centralised training sessions will be coordinated from Limburg,’ confirmed team manager Iwan Spekenbrink. ‘It is perfectly suited to the modern supervision of riders and teambuilding as developed by the team.’

Bastion Hotel Group, a Dutch company, is the country’s fastest growing independent hotel chain, primarily focused on corporate customers. Its no-nonsense mentality has enabled Bastion Hotel Group to grow into a chain of 30 hotels. There is also a number of ongoing new-build projects. The group increases its capacity by an average of 300 new rooms every year, by means of expansion and new sites. The Bastion Hotel in Rhoon, for example, will reopen in January 2010 with an additional 68 deluxe rooms, while the Rotterdam/Brielle site will open 30 new rooms.

‘Cycling is an outstanding platform for raising awareness of our name,’ said Maik Willems, director of Bastion Hotel Group. ‘We are also very interested in the business opportunities the partnership opens up.’

The Skil-Shimano cycling team was certainly not a random selection. ‘We feel that the young, ambitious team organisation has a lot in common with our own organisation. We are very enthusiastic and we look forward to working together,’ added Kurt Oprins, sales manager of Bastion Hotel Group.

www.skilcyclingteam.com

• Discuss the sport with fans from around the world on the Daily Peloton Forums & Chat Room.
• Sponsor the Daily Peloton - advertise your product - contact us
• Would you like to try your hand at writing about the sport? contact us.
• Link your site or blog to  www.dailypeloton.com